Patents Assigned to Ecole Polytechnique
  • Patent number: 7308965
    Abstract: A noise-absorbing device includes a substantially flat base and embossed and/or hollow elements each including at least one recess. This base reveals with the embossed and/or hollow elements, a configuration exhibiting a fractality zone of between 1 cm and 50 cm, of fractal dimension greater than 2.5 enabling the localization of the waves over the sound frequency range, in the vicinity of the elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2007
    Assignees: Ecole Polytechnique, Colas
    Inventors: Bernard Sapoval, Marcel Filoche, Michel Chappat, Didier Peyrard
  • Patent number: 7306766
    Abstract: An improved biochip type device comprising a substrate (10) including an intermediate non-absorbent multilayer mirror (12) covered by a layer (14) of high refractive index material having chromophore elements (16) fixed thereon, the layer (14) further including feature (24) for extracting guided-mode light in order to recover the light emitted by the chromophore elements (16) into the layer (14) in response to light excitation, and direct the light to detection and measurement means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2007
    Assignees: Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Ecole Polytechnique, Universite de Versailles Saint-Quentin en Yvelines
    Inventors: Claude Weisbuch, Henri Benisty
  • Patent number: 7305105
    Abstract: The disclosed method and system may be used for creating advanced protection means for secure items (e.g. bank notes, identity documents, certificates, checks, diploma, travel documents, tickets) and valuable products (e.g CD-ROMs, DVD's, prescription drugs, products with affixed labels, watches). Secure items are authenticated by shape level lines. The shape level lines become apparent when superposing a base layer comprising sets of lines and a revealing layer comprising a line grating. One of the two layers is a modified layer which embeds a shape elevation profile generated from an initial, preferably bilevel, motif shape image. By modifying the relative superposition phase of the revealing layer on top of the base layer or vice-versa (e.g. by translation or rotation), shape level lines grow and shrink dynamically. In the case that these shape level lines are present, the secure item is accepted as authentic. Otherwise the item is rejected as suspect.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2007
    Assignee: Ecole polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)
    Inventors: Sylvain Chosson, Roger D. Hersch
  • Patent number: 7298480
    Abstract: A broadband ellipsometer/polarimeter system for analyzing a sample includes an illumination source emitting a polychromatic light beam, a polarization state generator (PSG) including a fixed linear polarizer and a substantially achromatic retarder mounted on a rotating holder, a sample holder, a polarization state analyser (PSA) including a fixed linear polarizer and a substantially achromatic retarder mounted on a rotating holder, a primary detection system measuring the intensities at each wavelength of the light beam transmitted through the PSA, optics to collimate the beam into the PSG and into the PSA and to focus the beam into the sample surface and the detector. The linear polarizer and achromatic retarder in the PSA are identical to those of the PSG but mounted in a reverse order.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2007
    Assignee: Ecole Polytechnique
    Inventors: Enric Garcia-Caurel, Antonello De Martino, Bernard Drevillon
  • Patent number: 7295717
    Abstract: The present invention aims at synthesizing superposition images formed either by band moire shapes or by shape level lines for making the information forwarded by valuable articles or by time pieces such as watches and clocks more dynamic, as well as for improving their attractiveness and aesthetics. A further application is publicity. For synthesizing band moiré images, the present invention relies on a band moiré image layout model allowing to obtain the layout of the base the band grating, given the layouts of the band moire image and of the revealing line grating. Base and revealing layer layouts may be conceived to create band moiré image shapes whose patterns move e.g. radially, circularly, or according to a spiral trajectory. Shape level lines occur in a superposition image when e.g. a base layer comprising modified sets of lines is superposed with a revealing layer comprising a line grating. Such a base layer embeds a shape elevation profile generated from an initial motif shape image (e.g.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2007
    Assignee: Ecole polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)
    Inventors: Roger D. Hersch, Sylvain Chosson, Ran Seri, Pascal Fehr
  • Publication number: 20070252580
    Abstract: A probe for measuring electrical characteristics of an excitation current of a plasma is provided. The probe is mounted on a conductive line that includes an inner conductor and an outer conductor. The probe includes a current sensor and a voltage sensor. The current sensor includes a grove formed in the ground of one of the conductors in order to form a detour for the current flowing through the conductor, and a point for measuring electric voltage between a ground connected to the conductor and a point of the groove. The current sensor thus is able to measure a voltage proportional to the first time derivative of intensity (Iplasma) of the excitation current. The voltage sensor is a shunt sensor capable of measuring a voltage proportional to the first time derivative of the voltage (Vplasma) of the excitation current. A plasma reactor including a probe of the aforementioned type is also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2005
    Publication date: November 1, 2007
    Applicant: Ecole Polytechnique
    Inventors: Sebastien Dine, Jacques Jolly, Jean Larour
  • Patent number: 7276903
    Abstract: A method for obtaining NMR (=nuclear magnetic resonance) spectra of quadrupolar nuclei having spin I>½ using magic angle spinning (=MAS) in solid powders and transfer of coherences from a neighboring nucleus with spin S= 1/2 to single- or double-quantum transitions of quadrupolar nuclei having spin I>½, is characterized in that the transfer of coherences occurs through a combination of scalar and residual dipolar splittings. With the inventive method improved NMR-spectra can be obtained from which parameters can be extracted, which can be related to the structure and internal dynamics of solids containing the quadrupolar nuclei.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2007
    Assignee: Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
    Inventors: Adonis Lupulescu, Sasa Antonijevic, Geoffrey Bodenhausen
  • Patent number: 7261144
    Abstract: A heat transfer assembly for transferring heat from a heat generating device to a circulating fluid, said heat transfer assembly comprising an evaporator device having at least one microchannel formed therein, in thermally conductive contact with said heat generating device, a condenser device, actuating means and manifold means for circulating said fluid between said evaporator device and said condenser device, wherein said heat transfer assembly further comprises a bubble generator capable to create bubbles in said at least one microchannel at a controlled frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2007
    Assignee: Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)
    Inventors: John R. Thome, Vincent Dupont
  • Patent number: 7262402
    Abstract: An integrated imager circuit having a monolithic array of single photon avalanche diodes (SPADs) for capturing an image of a scene when said scene is hit by an optical pulse. The array has a plurality of SPADs connected to 2D readout circuits which determines the intensity of the light reflected by the scene by counting the number of photons received by the SPADs during a period of time. A plurality of SPADs connected to 3D readout circuits determines the distance to the scene by determining the elapsed time between the emission of each pulse and reception of the corresponding reflected photons.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2007
    Assignee: Ecole Polytechnique Federal de Lausanne
    Inventors: Cristiano Niclass, Edoardo Charbon, Pierre-Andre Besse, Alexis Rochas
  • Publication number: 20070193519
    Abstract: The invention relates to an effusing source for film deposition made of a reservoir comprising one hole characterized by the fact that the hole diameter is less than one order of magnitude than the mean free path of the molecules determined by the pressure and its thickness is at least one order of magnitude smaller than the diameter. Preferably the source has several holes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 16, 2007
    Publication date: August 23, 2007
    Applicant: Ecole Polytechnique Federale De Lausanne (EPFL)
    Inventors: Giacomo Benvenuti, Estelle Halary-Wagner, Simone Amorosi, Patrik Hoffmann
  • Patent number: 7252360
    Abstract: The present invention proposes a method and a computing system for deducing ink thickness variations from spectral reflectance measurements performed on a printing press or on a printer. The computed ink thickness variations enable controlling the ink deposition and therefore the color accuracy, both in the case of high-speed printing presses and of network printers. Ink thickness variations are expressed as ink thickness variation factors incorporated into a spectral prediction model. The method for computing ink thickness variations comprises both calibration and ink thickness variation computation steps. The calibration steps comprise the calculation of ink transmittances from measured reflectances and the computation of possibly wavelength-dependent ink thicknesses of solid superposed inks. Wavelength-dependent ink thicknesses account for the scattering behavior of non-transparent inks or of inks partly entering into the paper bulk.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2007
    Assignee: Ecole polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)
    Inventors: Roger D. Hersch, Peter Amrhyn, Matthias Riepenhoff
  • Patent number: 7252001
    Abstract: The invention relates to an inertial sensor based on the magnetic levitation of an inertial mass comprising an active magnetic bearing unit arranged in such a way as to levitate the inertial mass and characterized by the fact that it furthermore comprises additional active magnetic bearings units arranged in such a way as to control the position of said inertial mass along three independent axis and to create, for any of said independent axis, restoring forces that can be oriented in any of the two directions of these independent axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2007
    Assignee: Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL)
    Inventors: Alexis Boletis, François Barrot, Roland Moser
  • Publication number: 20070178460
    Abstract: The invention concerns a combinatorial method for the generation of new split-protein sensors, and its application towards the (?/?a)8-barrel enzyme N-(5?-phosphoribosyl)-anthranilate isomerase Trp1p from Saccharomyces cerevisiae is demonstrated. The generated split-Trp protein sensors allow for the detection of protein-protein interactions in the cytosol as well as the membrane by enabling trp1 cells to grow on medium lacking tryptophan. This powerful selection thus complements the repertoire of the currently used split-protein sensors and provides a new tool for high-throughput interaction screening.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 8, 2004
    Publication date: August 2, 2007
    Applicant: Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne
    Inventors: Petra Tafelmeyer, Kai Johnsson
  • Patent number: 7196792
    Abstract: A liquid crystal based polarimetric system, a process for the calibration of this polarimetric system, and a polarimetric measurement process intended for measuring the representative parameters of a sample in which the polarimetric system contains an excitation section emitting a light beam that passes through a polarization state generator (PSG) and onto a sample. After reflection or transmission by the sample, the beam goes through an analysis section with a polarization state detector (PSD). The PSG and PSD each have a first and a second liquid crystal elements LCj (j=1,2) having, for each LCj element of the PSG (respectively for each LCj element of the PSD), an extraordinary axis making an angle ?j (resp. ??j) with respect to the polarization direction (i), and a retardation ?j (resp (??j) between its ordinary and extraordinary axes, the liquid crystals LCj elements being positioned in reverse order in the PSD with respect to the LCj elements of the PSG.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2007
    Assignees: Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Ecole Polytechnique
    Inventors: Bernard Drevillon, Antonello De Martino
  • Publication number: 20070041611
    Abstract: The present invention aims at synthesizing superposition images formed either by band moire shapes or by shape level lines for making the information forwarded by valuable articles or by time pieces such as watches and clocks more dynamic, as well as for improving their attractiveness and aesthetics. A further application is publicity. For synthesizing band moiré images, the present invention relies on a band moiré image layout model allowing to obtain the layout of the base the band grating, given the layouts of the band moire image and of the revealing line grating. Base and revealing layer layouts may be conceived to create band moiré image shapes whose patterns move e.g. radially, circularly, or according to a spiral trajectory. Shape level lines occur in a superposition image when e.g. a base layer comprising modified sets of lines is superposed with a revealing layer comprising a line grating. Such a base layer embeds a shape elevation profile generated from an initial motif shape image (e.g.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2006
    Publication date: February 22, 2007
    Applicant: Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL)
    Inventors: Roger Hersch, Sylvain Chosson, Ran Seri, Pascal Fehr
  • Publication number: 20070013373
    Abstract: A method for obtaining NMR (=nuclear magnetic resonance) spectra of quadrupolar nuclei having spin l>½ using magic angle spinning (=MAS) in solid powders and transfer of coherences from a neighboring nucleus with spin S= 1/2 to single- or double-quantum transitions of quadrupolar nuclei having spin l>½, is characterized in that the transfer of coherences occurs through a combination of scalar and residual dipolar splittings. With the inventive method improved NMR-spectra can be obtained from which parameters can be extracted, which can be related to the structure and internal dynamics of solids containing the quadrupolar nuclei.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 8, 2006
    Publication date: January 18, 2007
    Applicant: Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne
    Inventors: Adonis Lupulescu, Sasa Antonijevic, Geoffrey Bodenhausen
  • Patent number: 7148209
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a new method for repairing human or animal tissues such as cartilage, meniscus, ligament, tendon, bone, skin, cornea, periodontal tissues, abscesses, resected tumors, and ulcers. The method comprises the step of introducing into the tissue a temperature-dependent polymer gel composition such that the composition adhere to the tissue and promote support for cell proliferation for repairing the tissue. Other than a polymer, the composition preferably comprises a blood component such as whole blood, processed blood, venous blood, arterial blood, blood from bone, blood from bone-marrow, bone marrow, umbilical cord blood, placenta blood, erythrocytes, leukocytes, monocytes, platelets, fibrinogen, thrombin and platelet rich plasma. The present invention also relates to a new composition to be used with the method of the present invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2006
    Assignee: Ecole Polytechnique
    Inventors: Caroline D. Hoemann, Michael D. Buschmann, Marc D. McKee
  • Patent number: 7141026
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a system and a method for monitoring body movement, in particular but not exclusively for evaluating the falling risk and/or for monitoring sitting, standing, lying, walking and running periods. The system is characterized by the fact that it comprises means for determining the time of postural transition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2006
    Assignee: Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne/ Service des Relations Industrielles (SRI)
    Inventors: Kamiar Aminian, Bijian Najjafi
  • Patent number: 7137952
    Abstract: A new noninvasive approach for intraocular pressure (IOP) measurement allowing continuous monitoring over prolonged periods, regardless of patient's position and activities. The key element of this measurement method is a soft contact lens (1) including at least one strain gage (2) longitudinally arranged around the center of the contact lens and capable of measuring precisely spherical deformations of the eyeball induced by the changes in IOP. This information is transmitted with wires or (preferably) wirelessly in real time to an external recording system (14). The system is placed in the same way as a normal corrective contact lens, no anesthesia is required and patient vision remains almost completely unimpaired.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2006
    Assignee: Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne-Service des Relations Industrielles
    Inventors: Matteo Leonardi, Stefan Metz, Daniel Bertrand, Peter Leuenberger
  • Patent number: 7132475
    Abstract: The invention provides methods for the preparation of multiblock copolymers, dispersions of multiblock copolymers, vesicles and micelles containing multiblock copolymers, and oxidative degradation products of multiblock copolymers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2006
    Assignee: Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne
    Inventors: Jeffrey A. Hubbell, Alessandro Napoli, Nicola Tirelli